Representatives from many of the 34 organizations that have their headquarters at the Kentucky Horse Park (KHP) in Lexington gathered on September 17 for a reception hosted by the Equestrian Land Conservation Resource (ELCR). The ELCR is one of the newest tenants at the KHP’s National Horse Center, and its leaders plan to make these get-togethers a monthly event to facilitate joint projects to preserve the land that’s critical to all these groups’ constituents.

On behalf of the other ELCR Board of Directors members present, President Georgiana McCabe welcomed the assembly. “Our goal is to assist you in making sure that your members will still have places to keep, train and compete their horses in 25 or 50 years. And to do that, we’ll have to work together to explain to your members that the loss of equestrian lands is not inevitable and to educate your members about what they can do,” McCabe told the crowd.

Deb Balliet, the ELCR’s new chief executive officer, announced that, the ELCR’s leaders have initiated a plan to bring together the leaders of all the National Horse Center’s organizations every month for lunch and discussion.

“It will be a great way for us all to get to know each other, to explore the concerns involving land and access that we all have, and to develop ways to address those concerns that no one’s thought of or tried before,” said Balliet. “And who knows what other exciting things could come out of all of us just sitting down and talking?”

John Nicholson, the Executive Director of the Kentucky Horse Park, unequivocally urged those present to work with the ELCR’s leaders and staff.

“This is a golden moment. Our sports have never been stronger, and our numbers have never been bigger, and now is the time to make sure that the riders of tomorrow will have places to ride and to grow hay so that they can enjoy horses as we have,” said Nicholson. “I welcome the ELCR to the Horse Park and look forward to working with them to help us find solutions to the very real challenges ahead of us.”

The United States Pony Clubs (USPC) hosted this reception in their headquarters, next door to the ELCR headquarters. Earlier this year, USPC leaders adopted requirements for land-conservation education and action into all its ratings standards. ELCR Board members Larry Byers (a former USPC president) and Sophie Clifton (a member of the USPC Board of Governors) facilitated, including these requirements in the standards.

To learn more about the Equestrian Land Conservation Resource, visit or call (859) 455-8383.